A tale about armed and dangerous escapees terrorizing a suburban family
isn't novel today – neither in reel or real life – but 54 years ago,
THE DESPERATE HOURS
was genuinely shocking. All the more so because it was based on a true
incident. After years of playing good guys, Humphrey Bogart reprises the
hard-bitten gangster type he had created in PETRIFIED FOREST (1936),
also about a gang of baddies holding a group of people (in a café).
Bogie’s character in DESPERATE HOURS is marginally a more articulate and
sensitive version of FOREST's Duke Mantee, you still wouldn't want him
dropping by. Ditto one of his two cohorts, lumbering Sam Kobish (Ray
Middleton), a psychopath if ever there was one. Trust me, this one’s a
nail-biter. (Trivia note: The exterior of the house used in the film is
the same set used in the TV's "Leave It to Beaver" two years later.)
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